Read Online Alexandre by Shelley Munro - Free Book Online

side.
    That stand of kauri trees looked a bit close for comfort. “Stomp on the brakes!” she yelled.
    “Which pedal?”
    Which… “The middle one! Stamp on the middle one. Now! Do it!”
    Killer yelped and jumped off the seat to cower at Lily’s feet. Lily glanced out the window, saw how close they were to kauri trees, and wanted to join the dog. They were going to die. Now was the perfect time to act like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.
    “Holy shit.” Lily braced for impact. “The middle pedal. Harder. Now.” She glanced at the tree trunks. They were so close now she could see the individual leaves on the trees and the patterns on the trunks through the windscreen. The dog whimpered at her feet. Lily knew just how she felt, but at least Alex had worked out the brakes. The rest of the road was clear of traffic. That was a good thing.
    The car hit the soft road shoulder. The wheels spun for purchase, and the vehicle slid, turning slightly so it approached the trees sideways.
    “I think we’re going to hit the tree,” Alex said.
    No shit. Now there was a newsflash. “I hope you have insurance on Dalcon,” Lily gritted out. “Because Luke will have a coronary if you harm a speck of paint on his baby.”
    “I worry more about Janaya,” Alex muttered, stepping on the brakes with all his strength. The vehicle screamed, the stench of rubber heavy in the air.
    Lily stared fixedly at the nearest tree. It got bigger and bigger until all she could see through the driver’s window was tree. The impact threw her toward Alex and then the seat belt jerked her back. Killer yelped twice. Alex cursed. The engine groaned. Metal screeched as it made contact with a branch. A dull pop preceded the crackle of broken glass.
    Then at last, they came to a halt.
    Lily gingerly tested her limbs. Everything worked. At least they hadn’t hit hard enough to activate the airbags. “Alex, are you all right?”
    “Yeah. Will the vehicle still work?”
    Lily sure hoped so. “Killer, sweetie. You can come out now. Everything’s okay.”
    Killer poked her head out from behind Lily’s legs. She cast a disgruntled look at Alex, and Alex guessed he was in for a tongue-lashing when Killer got him on his own. He checked out Lily. Judging from her set expression, there wouldn’t be much flesh on his bones for Killer to pick over. His stupid pride had landed him right in the middle of a mess. In hindsight, he should have admitted he hadn’t had much experience with Earth vehicles.
    “Turn off the engine,” Lily snapped.
    Alex noticed she didn’t call him sweetie. He switched the vehicle off and silence throbbed in the cab. Lily jerked open the passenger-side door. Killer sprang out and Lily followed.
    Basuko and double basuko . Alex flung himself at the door, intent on inspecting the damage. It didn’t budge. “ Basukoation .”
    He shoved against it with all his strength. Finally, the door opened with a protesting groan far enough for him to squeeze through. Irritated, more with himself than anything, he wriggled out and slammed the door shut. It bounced and almost hit him at knee level. Alex jumped backward and promptly fell over an exposed root. He landed hard enough to smack the air from his lungs. Winded and struggling for breath, Alex lay on the ground and scowled up at the tree canopy and the patches of blue sky between. He should have followed his gut instinct to stay in bed this morning.
    A short yap right next to his ear made him start.
    “Car hurt. Luke be grumpy.”
    “I’ll get it fixed,” Alex snapped, climbing slowly to his feet. That damn dog was getting on his nerves. If he didn’t know better, he’d think she’d purposely interrupted them last night. He pushed past the spotted animal and stepped around to join Lily at the front of the car. Blast, he’d broken the side mirror as well. Alex kicked it out of the way, and it rolled drunkenly underneath the car.
    “It doesn’t look too bad,” she